28 Apr
2005
28 Apr
'05
3:16 p.m.
A few years back, I had a bench power supply
('constant current/constant
voltage' type) that would output 5000 volts at up to a few hundred
milliamperes.
The fact that i am here to ramble on about old computers is an indirect
result of the quality of Fluke instruments !
My father (a physical chemist) was using an ENT power supply for field
emission experiments. This device could provide over 10kV at a fair few
10's of mA -- easily enough to kill you. He managed to grab the output
with one hand while his other hand touched an earthed metal sink.
Fortunately he had the current limit turned right down, and fortunately
the circuit worked correctly. If it hadn't, he wouldn't have been around
to create me.
And needless to say he never used anything but Fluke PSUs after that...
[Yes, OK, there are other good ones with perfectly good current limiting,
but if one pparticular brand has saved your life, you stick with it]
-tony